As is known to those skilled in the art of stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, the strings of the instrument extend between two critical contact points, typically provided on or at the nut of the instrument and on or at the bridge of the instrument. Each of the strings also extends beyond at least one of the critical contact points where it is secured to a tuning peg or tuning machine provided on the instrument for adjusting the tension of the string. The other end of the string also generally extends beyond the other control contact point so as to be anchored to the instrument.
As is also known in the art, the sound produced by each of the strings is affected both by the string length between the critical contact points and by the tension on the string. Generally, the string length is adjusted by adjustment of the distance between the critical contact points at which the string contacts the bridge and nut elements of the instrument. This is generally referred to as harmonic or string length tuning. The tension of the strings of the musical instrument is generally adjusted by means of the tuning pegs or machines which serve to increase or decrease the tension of the strings. This latter type of adjustment is often referred to as pitch or fine tuning of the strings. Generally, each of the strings of a musical instrument may be both pitch and harmonically tuned individually and independently of the other strings of the musical instrument.
Tremolo devices for stringed musical instruments are also generally well-known and are typically used to simultaneously and significantly either reduce or increase the tension of all of the strings of the musical instruments to thereby produce unusual tone variations or special sound effects. Although the effects achievable with tremolo devices on guitars and the like were popularized in the 1960's, many musicians did not readily adopt and/or continue the use of tremolo devices due to problems of detuning of the strings of the guitars on which the tremolo devices were mounted and used. As a result of several inventions made by Floyd Rose, the inventor herein, in late 1970's and early 1980's, several of the problems associated with detuning of the strings of guitars employing tremolo devices were minimized.
More particularly, in accordance with one of the inventions of Floyd Rose, which is the subject of Rose's U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,661 issued Oct. 23, 1979, the bridge of the musical instrument is provided on the tremolo device and the strings are held or "locked" at or in the vicinity of both the bridge and the nut of the instrument so as to be restrained against relative sliding movement during activation and return of the tremolo device. In this manner, after the tremolo is used and then returned to an inactive position, the strings essentially return to the same tension as before activation and, therefore, remain in tune. In the preferred embodiment disclosed in the '661 patent, the strings of the instrument are clamped at both the nut of the guitar and at the bridge of the guitar, with the clamping bridge elements being mounted on and movable with the tremolo device. This invention of Floyd Rose is sometimes referred to as his "string locking" invention.
Two further significant improvements of Floyd Rose in tremolo devices are embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,236 (and its continuation, U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,461). One of the improvements resides in the provision of fine tuning means mounted on and movable with the tremolo device for fine tuning of the strings essentially without changing the harmonic tuning thereof. The second improvement resides in a particular type of fine tuning means in which the string support means (which includes the bridge of the instrument) and the string holding means (which hold the strings) are moved substantially as a unit to effect fine tuning of the strings individually without changing the harmonic tuning thereof. This latter improvement thus permits fine tuning of the strings as well as employment of the first Floyd Rose invention which is the subject of the '661 patent in that movement of the strings relative to the bridge of the instrument is minimized.
In the particular embodiment disclosed in the '236 patent, which employs both of the aforenoted improvements, individual bridge elements are provided for each of the strings of the instrument. Each of the bridge elements is of a two-piece construction and includes a first forward block element and a second rear block element which is rotatably mounted to the first block and which includes a string contact surface thereon. Each forward block element is mounted for sliding movement on the base plate of the tremolo device for adjusting or changing the harmonic tuning of its respective string. Each rear, rotatable block element includes a clamping block for clamping the string against the string contact surface. The clamping block is urged against the string by means of a threaded shank or rod which extends rearwardly of the rear block element through a suitable slot provided in an upwardly extending flange of the tremolo device. Fine tuning adjustment screws are mounted to the flange of the tremolo device and are positioned so as to contact the extended portion of the threaded shank or rod to thereby adjust the rotatable position of the rear block. This, in turn, adjusts the tension of the string held thereby, essentially without changing the harmonic tuning of the strings, since the distance between the critical contact point on the nut and the critical contact point on the bridge (provided on the forward portion of the string contact surface of the rear block element) essentially remains the same.
The tremolo and tuning apparatus in accordance with the Floyd Rose inventions have enjoyed huge commercial success, the inventions of such patents having been licensed throughout the electric guitar industry. As a result, numerous variations of tremolo and tuning apparatus employing the inventions of the Floyd Rose '661 and '236 patents have been developed in an effort to provide an optimum tremolo and tuning apparatus. Among several of the improvements and/or variations have been tremolo and tuning apparatus in which attempts have been made to decrease the profile of the tremolo apparatus by decreasing the height or elevation of the flange on which the fine tuning adjustment members are mounted. Thus, tremolo bridge systems have heretofore been developed having angled, rearwardly-directed flanges which extend obliquely relative to the surface of the tremolo base plate and which have a downwardly extending portion on which the fine tuning adjustment members are mounted so that the adjustment members move in a direction generally oblique to the surface of the tremolo base plate, as opposed to perpendicularly thereto as shown in the embodiment of the '236 patent. In another variation of a tremolo bridge system, a camming-type mechanism is utilized in which the rearwardly-extending shanks of the rotatable block elements are provided with a rotatable sleeve that engages against a sloped surface of the rear flange of the tremolo device. By rotation of the sleeve, the rotational position of the rotatable block element is adjusted to adjust the tension of the string held thereby. In each of these variations of prior tremolo bridge systems, however, the rearwardly-extending members connected to the rotatable bridge elements are arranged or positioned at an elevation above the surface of the tremolo base plate and thus, there is still provided a relatively high profile, as well as a relatively complicated, awkward adjustment procedure.
Here it should be noted that tremolo bridge systems for guitars having relatively low profiles are desired by musicians in order to be more comfortable and, also, to make it less likely for musicians to accidentally and/or inadvertently detune the strings as the result of resting a hand on the rearwardly-extending flange of the tremolo device. At the same time, it is desired to still provide string locking and fine tuning capabilities in order to permit utilization of the Floyd Rose improvements which are the subject of the '661 and '236 patents. Also, low profiles are desired in order to permit musicians, if desired, to pick or play the strings closer to the bridge contact points of the instrument. With the tremolo bridge systems having profiles in which the rearward flange containing the fine tuning adjustment members are located at a significant distance above the height of the strings, it often is difficult to "pick" the strings close to the bridge contact points. Accordingly, the search has continued for further improvements in an effort to optimize tremolo and tuning apparatus for musical instruments.